Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth. I see daffodils, crocus, and blooming trees everywhere on my daily walks. After the last 12+ months we have experienced and the vaccine rollout giving us all new hope, it is
a time of renewal and rebirth unlike in previous Springs. In past years, I have written about my “big rocks” at this time of year. In April more than any other month I am reminded of my big rocks – it is when my siblings and I lost our father to cancer at a very young age. I turned four years old the day of his funeral.
Over 570,000 families in this country alone have lost one of their “big rocks” to COVID-19. For some families, it has been multiple losses. The stories of a husband and wife dying just hours apart are truly heartbreaking. I am fortunate that all my big rocks here in New England and back in Minnesota where I grew up are healthy and well. And all of us “elders” are vaccinated.
So, in this time of renewal and being two weeks post my second vaccine dose, I look forward to breaking bread this weekend with family members. It will be the first time since an outside, socially distanced, early Thanksgiving we had on November 8th. I told my husband back then that it could be a long, isolating winter as we would not be able to spend time outside with family nor have meals together. After a relatively mild winter, I am happy to say my daughter who lives only 20 minutes away came over on some weekends with her two young daughters to walk the dogs with me and to visit. Some of the visits were outside socially distanced and some were inside with masks.
Thinking about my big rocks is a reminder to take care of myself and maintain a reasonable work life balance, or life work balance as my StarBridge Advisors colleague, David Muntz, likes to call it. Taking on the interim CIO role at Boston Children’s Hospital means I am back to long days and catching up on the weekends. My personal gauge for work life balance each day during this period will be whether I’ve gotten out for walks to hit my 10,000 steps daily goal and if I’ve played the piano.
Since last June I have maintained the discipline most days to do two long walks and been able to hit 10,000 daily steps. Since September I have been playing the piano after a way too long hiatus (17 years!). When I got serious about playing again, I decided to buy myself a new piano and pass on the family piano to my daughter so her children could learn to play. The family piano dates to when my mother bought it for my sister and I to start lessons when we were in third and fifth grade. Many decades ago! Playing the piano brings me great joy. Working from home means there are even times when I can sit down for 5 minutes between calls and play something – not just wait until the end of day for a longer play/practice session.
My husband retired several years ago. With so much time at home this past year, he has taken up painting – teaching himself techniques by watching YouTube videos, reading books, and experimenting. One of my favorite pieces that he painted is on my home office shelf visible to all on my Zoom calls. We joke that after buying a new piano, he has a pretty big art supply budget to make up for it. As the weather gets warmer, the garden calls him as well. It’s where he will spend many hours in the coming months – a labor of love.
What do you do for work life balance? Do you have a hobby you love? And are you making enough time for your big rocks? Life is short.
Related Posts:
Take time to stop and smell the roses – part 2
Time to stop and smell the roses